Our Goal is Student Success – Not Profit

You probably already knew the Alamo Colleges are committed to quality, diversity and affordability. But did you know that you can earn a degree or a certificate at one of the Alamo Colleges for a fraction of what a for-profit school will cost you? In an analysis I conducted last year, I found that an associate’s degree earned at a local private college will cost a local resident an average of $28,500. Compare this with $3,800, the cost of tuition to earn the same degree at the Alamo Colleges. It doesn’t take a degree in Math to see the 750% difference in cost.

Combine this fact with this week’s disturbing report from a congressional investigation carried out by the Government Accountability Office that exposed fraudulent tactics employed by for-profit colleges and universities. It found some for-profit schools that used deceptive recruiting practices which include providing misleading information about costs and potential future earnings. They also reported that some recruiters had urged prospective students to provide false information on applications for financial aid. NPR’s Larry Abramson described “tactics that would make a used-car salesman blush.” Melissa Ludwig reporting for the Express-News wrote, “In San Antonio, a dozen locally based for-profit schools enroll about 11,500 students, and thousands more attend branch campuses of national brands such as DeVry University.” These schools are supported by federal financial aid of “$24 billion a year in grants and loans” that their students often cannot afford to pay off, laying the burden of repayment on the taxpayer.

The federal investigation found what the Alamo Colleges have known all along: Degree programs offered by non-profit colleges can be found at St. Philip’s, San Antonio College, and Northwest Vista, Northeast Lakeview and Palo Alto colleges for a fraction of the price. The Alamo Colleges offers over 320 degree programs in fields as diverse as business, nursing, aviation technology, culinary arts, green technology – the list goes on and on. The Alamo Colleges are committed to students. Our goal is student success – not profit.